Modern Rock Band Culture Wars Releases Visual for New Single “Bittersweet”
“you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need.” ~Alex Dugan
The rock collective Culture Wars have just released their new single, “Bittersweet,” accompanied by a striking and reinvigorating visual. The band has had an impressive year, sharing stages with Keane, Wallows, and LANY, breaking into the Top 20 at U.S. Alternative Radio with their hit “It Hurts,” and harnessing over 8 million global streams on their breakout single “Typical Ways.” They’ve also sold out shows across Los Angeles, New York City, London, Houston, and Chicago, cementing their rising status in the alt-rock scene.
Their new single is an anthemic exploration of emotion and energy, breathing new life into what we know as modern rock. “Bittersweet” feels both reassuring and liberating, blending the rawness and angst of the genre with the melodic polish and emotional clarity that define today’s generational sound. It’s the hair flipping, head banging, stadium track you didn’t know you needed, but once you’ve heard it, could never imagine a world without it.
In the music video, the song comes alive through stunning cinematography and a series of episodic, fast-shifting scenes. There’s an urgency and playfulness to the visuals, underscored by moments of shattering and breakthrough that mirror the song’s emotional intensity. It’s the kind of track that makes you want to run down the street shouting the lyrics, the cathartic release that leaves you feeling lighter and alive. When words fail, “Bittersweet” gives you something to scream, and somehow everything feels okay again.
Frontman Dugan describes “Bittersweet” as a reflection on learning to embrace life’s unpredictable balance.
“I feel myself slowly becoming more and more adult,” Dugan shares. “The concept of ‘Bittersweet’ is centered around getting what you want out of life, but never on the terms you thought. Most things in my life have been ‘yes, but…’—and that’s life. Bittersweet. In the same vein as the old stones adage, ‘you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need.’ This is my version of that. It’s about making the best of life, rolling with the punches, and seeing obstacles as part of the plan. The brain creates a lot of anxiety—most of which is insanity—and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.”
The video also offers a glimpse into the band’s personality and creative chemistry, hinting at what’s to come in their live shows, something fans will definitely not want to miss.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Dugan about the creation of “Bittersweet” and what’s ahead for Culture Wars. Scroll down to read our full conversation.
And the excitement doesn’t stop there, their debut album, If Not Now, When?, arrives in early 2026. With their momentum stronger than ever, Culture Wars are proving they’re not just part of modern rock’s future, but rather they’re helping define it.
Here is Our Interview:
[Neelu Mohaghegh] NM: When working on this song, how did it come together? And why did you guys feel the need to write this song?
[Culture Wars’ Alex Dugan] AD: It started with Caleb and I at my place on guitar and vocals first. We then brought it to the band and everyone did their thing. It's the kind of song I've always wanted to make (and have tried and failed before), so I'm very excited to have it out.
[NM]: For the music video, what was the process of ideation and how did you guys make the vision come to life?
[AD]: We had just come off a slew of arena and stadium sized support dates. I've always lived by the "dress for the job you want" and what we want is to be able to play our own shows one day in venues like that. We built it around the raw energy of our live shows, but with a video wall that we had always envisioned. Consider this video our formal audition tape for larger shows, lol.
[NM]: You said that the single is about life's unpredictability and going in directions you didn't necessarily plan for, which is very much the essence of our editorial DETOUR--it's all about the creative redirections we've had to take--and so, I'd like to ask what was a curve ball life threw at you guys that you then needed to take a detour in your creative career to come out on the other side to something better or more aligned?
[AD]: The detour I was referring to was more in my personal life, but it does apply to the band as well. Creatively we came out of the teche EP wanting to fully dig into the first album and establish our own sound. We wrote only with a guitar or piano and vocal. If the song wasn't good enough with just two elements we didn't move forward. From a growth perspective we've been very lucky with the repetitive opportunities we've gotten this past year. Looking back it's amazing we've taken the giant leaps we have in only a year as a band, but at the time, there were many hurdles, many partial yes's, many pivots and thinking on our feet. We've managed to handle them all pretty well, but even that requires a bit of luck too.
[NM]: Who would you want to tour with next?
[AD]: I think the childhood dream list is probably Oasis, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, U2, but we're open to anything. We've toured with a hard rock band and a pop band literally in the same month. We're up for anything that feels right.
[NM]: What is one word/adjective to describe each of you in the band?
[AD]: Goofy.
[NM]: What is the inspiration behind the project as a whole coming up in 2026, "if not now, when?" ?
[AD]: We wanted a record that was a band playing live in a room. Organic approach, recorded live, real instruments, etc. An album that didn't sound like the same song 11 times, but more so establishing the width of the type of music we want to continue making.
[NM]: What are you most excited about on this new album for your fans to experience?
[AD]: It's been a very long journey for us to get to this point, and the fans have been with us through a lot of it. We just want them to enjoy the album and the shows and have fun. Let go. The world is complicated enough - no need to complicate music.
[NM]: As the band continues to grow and evolve, what is one thing you'd like to achieve?
[AD]: Continuing to headline our own shows and growing that aspect to bigger and bigger shows. The live version of Culture Wars is a totally different animal. It's really what we're best at.
[NM]: What is something fans might not know about you guys?
[AD]: We love a good hotel gym.
Photo Credit to: Eliot Lee